Tarcoles River and Eco Lodges

We departed the amazing natural zoo that is Corcovado and took a mostly-high-speed boat ride to Porto Sierpe arriving around 11 a.m. After that the day is a blur until after 4 p.m. I have a vague memory of a lunch somewhere and later stopping for a lengthy time at a shopping center that had a touristy lighthouse because someone needed to use an ATM. But overall it was five forgettable hours on a bus. We visited many great spots in Costa Rica, but unfortunately to get to them involved long hours on a bus.

After what seemed like a long check-in process at the “Jungle Crocodile Safari”, we were finally cruising the Tarcoles River. Folks come here to see crocodiles, but our main interest was birds.

Right at the dock we saw a Tropical Kingbird.

Our first sightings along the river were several Little Blue Heron.

A Roseate Spoonbill and Black-necked Stilt grazed on a distant beach.

We found an immature Anhinga in a nest with a parent standing guard behind it.

Nearby were Neotropic Cormorants.

The one above had a large fish. Here is a better look.

We would later see Wood Storks flying and grazing as it was getting dark, but here is the first we saw in the air.

Soon after the stork we saw a Great Egret.

And a Bare-throated Tiger Heron.

There were Snowy Egrets along the river.

There is one with an out-of-focus Yellow-crowned Night Heron in the foreground.

Twice we saw a Common Basilisk — the first in the golden light near sunset and another as the light was dimming.

Of course crocodiles were present.

The one below was huge. The photo is a four-shot panorama taken from a few yards away with my iPhone.

Far from our boat, a Black Vulture sat surveying its world.

The first Yellow-crowned Night Heron we saw with the one walking near the Snowy Egret shown previously.

We saw a beautiful Turquoise-browed Motmot, a spectacular bird with an amazing long tail that ends with a dark flag.

We saw five heron species. I already showed two photos of a Little Blue Heron and one each of a Bare-throated Tiger Heron and a Yellow-crowned Night Heron. Here is another juvenile Yellow-crowned Night Heron.

The Green Heron is a species we see in the Upper Valley.

And, as can be seen in Florida, a Tricolored Heron. One of the two caught dinner.

We got a great look at a Green Kingfisher.

We had a fleeting peek at a Purple Gallinule hiding in the greens.

Tricolored Munia were feeding in the grasses above the river. This finch species was introduced from where it is native — Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and southern China. In some western countries it is considered an invasive species. But it is a pretty bird.

I photographed a second Wood Stork flyby.

Ducks were represented by a Muscovy Duck that took a bath in a small pool …

… and a pair of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks.

I feel the Southern Lapwing is a beautiful bird.

We saw some Great-tailed Grackle.

I got one in the air.

Light was getting dim when I photographed this Wood Stork.

Clouds were moving in.

At the far extent of our travels we saws some grazing cattle.

Although I took more bird photos, the last semi-decent one I got was of a Northern Jacana.

We had arrived at the river later than desired and spent the last half hour in light too dark for decent bird photography. It is frustrating to see great birds but not being able to capture them.

After some of us grazed in the gift shop, we drove to our next lodge in pouring rain. The room numbers were weird so it took a few tries walking back and forth in the rain to find my room. This was the final dinner for two couples who would head for the airport before dawn the next day. Our group of 13 would be down to 9 for the Arenal extension and then down to 6 for Tortuguero extra extension.

The next morning wandering around before breakfast, I was surprised how beautiful and extensive this Villa Lapas Eco-lodge was.